The need for rapid, efficient and economical fruit harvesting operations is virtually indisputable. Most small fruits, such as grapes, peaches, tomatoes, berries, etc., require speedy and careful handling and processing in order to maintain maximum flavor, freshness and taste. This is particularly important in harvesting wine grapes where speedy and careful handling is essential to maintain maximum flavor and freshness.
On large land tracks, extensive planting of small fruits such as wine grapes permit the use of large, expensive harvest machines. In certain regions such as areas of California, these expensive machines have largely supplanted manual harvesting. Yet, even where machine harvesting has proven to be cost-effective, many wine makers remain interested in hand-picked produce because it gentles the fruit, yielding produce better suited for wine making.
In the Eastern United States, small orchards and vineyards predominate. In such areas, machine harvesting is inappropriate and is comparatively rare. In some states, such as Virginia, the average vineyard is approximately five acres. At such small establishments, self-propelled or tractor-drawn mechanical grape harvesters are cost prohibitive and all grapes are picked by hand. Similar situations can exist for other produce such as peaches, tomatoes, berries, etc.
The hand-picking of wine grapes is labor intensive and exposes the vineyard owner to many unanticipated expenses beyond that incurred for basic labor during harvest. The vineyard owner often cannot anticipate the vagaries of ripening or weather. The risk to the vineyard owner is increased because grapes can proceed from ripe to rot in one day. Each grape variety tends to mature around a specific date in any given region, leading to competition for labor at the preferred harvest time for the given grape variety. All too often, a small grower finds that he must enlist the assistance of his family and friends to ensure that his grape crop is gathered and delivered to the winery without costly and deleterious delays. Cut grapes aspirate rapidly, losing weight. Additionally, enzymes start converting grape juices to vinegar as soon as the stem is cut. Thus, small producers who represent the numerical majority in the business, have a strong interest in providing means whereby even inexperienced pickers are capable of harvesting in a rapid, safe and efficient manner.
The usual method of manual harvesting of fruits such as grapes involves the use of a pair of sharp pointed scissors or shears. These shears have a double blade and a means for holding the blades in the open position; generally a biasing spring or the like. Compressive force exerted on the handles causes the blades to contact one another, severing anything interposed between the two blade surfaces. The picker holds these shears in his dominant, usually right, hand. The fruit to be harvested is grasped in the picker's other hand, and the bunch stem snipped by the shears. Grape bunches are picked one by one, each deposited in a basket, or lug, lying at the picker's feet. The picking action requires significant eye to hand coordination, particularly when the fruit is obscured behind plant foliage. Such obstruction often results in self-inflicted wounds from the shears, for frequently, the picker's eye misperceives where his other hand is actually located. This type of injury is so common that some growers require their pickers to tape their forefingers before beginning harvesting.
Scissors or shears have other disadvantages. The grape harvesting action using scissors frequently severs vine parts other than the bunch stems. This limits pruning choices for the following season. Additionally, the scissors or shears are mechanically complex and easily jam with fruit juice and sap after extensive use. Scissors or shears occupy the picker's dominant hand fully during operation. Even if they are tethered to the wrist, they are awkward to drop and regrasp safely. Finally, scissors or shears demand maintenance, requiring pre-use and post-use sharpening, lubrication and cleaning.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,866 to Gorman, the present inventor developed and disclosed an alternative tool for harvesting fruit. The device could be mounted on either the right or left hand of the user generally between the index and second finger. The device included a cutting blade which was attached to a central strip member and extended angularly outward therefrom. When the device inserted between the finger or fingers of the picker, the blade could be brought into contact with the stem of a fruit to be harvested by a grasping motion of the picker's hand.
It can be appreciated that even in light of this development, improved hand-held picking devices are still highly desirable. It is desirable to provide a device which can be easily grasped and/or removed from the hand of the user. It is also desirable that such a device enable a picker to sever the stem of the fruit without crushing or damaging the fruit and retain it in the picker's hand for subsequent deposit into an appropriate gathering container. It is further desirable that the device optimize the cutting of the often-vitrified stem of the grape bunch close to the juncture between the fruit and the vine while minimizing the risk of slashing other important vegetative growth. It is further desirable that the device be easily positionable in the hand and be capable of being used effectively without excessive manipulation in a manner that contributes to the ergonomic efficiency of harvesting operations. Finally, it is desirable that the device be easy to maintain in optimum use condition.